EB Workers, Lawmakers, Navy Officials to Celebrate New Sub Contract

The largest naval shipbuilding contract in U.S. history should be paying local dividends for years to come with 600 new jobs coming to Quonset Point this year and as many as 3,000 by 2020 to help build submarines at the Electric Boat shipyard.

A group of leaders, including U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower; U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse; U.S. Representative James Langevin, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee; and U.S. Representative David Cicilline; along with Rear Admiral Kenneth M. Perry, the commander of Submarine Group Two, will gather at the Electric Boat facility on Friday to "salute the skill, craftsmanship and effectiveness of Electric Boat employees and their contributions to our national security," according to a release.

This week the Navy awarded a $17.6 billion multi-year contract to General Dynamics to build ten Virginia-class submarines.  This Block IV agreement will help strengthen our nation’s defense capabilities, is cost effective for taxpayers, and ensures a stable workload at the company’s Electric Boat (EB) shipyard in Quonset Point for many years to come.  The Block IV agreement includes ships beginning in fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2018.

The current block of submarines measure about 377 feet long, can carry a crew of 138, and have stealth capabilities to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, deliver special forces, and carry out surveillance on land and sea.

Electric Boat recently signed a new 25-year lease to remain at the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown and plans to invest $150 million in upgrading its facilities in Rhode Island.